The present invention relates to interactive games such as finite pool games that have pre-determined outcomes, and in particular to improvements to such games that increase appeal to players.
One class of interactive games is known as finite poker. In a finite poker game, a player is shown a first hand of cards and invited to select one or more cards to be discarded. Then the player is shown a final hand and a payoff is provided if the final hand is a winning hand according to a predetermined payout schedule.
In finite poker games known to the present inventor, the initial hand and the final hand are both predetermined prior to the time the game is started. For this reason, there can often be an inconsistency between the player""s selection of cards that are to be discarded and the transition from the initial hand to the final hand. This inconsistency can interfere with the desired simulation of a card game.
The present invention is directed to an improved method for displaying an interactive game that addresses this and other disadvantages of the prior art.
The preferred card game embodiment described below displays a first hand of cards, accepts a player""s designation of cards to be discarded, shows an intermediate hand that would result from the player""s hold/discard decisions, and then shows the final hand, predetermined by the particular game that is in progress. In order to improve the transition between the intermediate hand and the final hand, the system described below displays an entertaining display in place of those cards that are changed between the intermediate and the final hand. This entertaining display can take many forms, and in one embodiment takes the form of a sequence of simulated cards. This provides an added dimension of play as the player waits for the entertaining display to terminate, after which time the player learns the final hand and the payout for the game in progress.
The system described below provides the further advantage over the known prior art in that the final hand may provide an increased payout as compared to the first hand, even in those cases where the first hand is a winning hand according to a predetermined payout schedule. Thus, even when the first hand is a winning hand, the final payout may on some occasions be greater than the apparent payout indicated by the first hand. This provides another element of entertainment to the game.
The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction, and they are not intended to narrow the scope of the following claims.